There is a Wikipedia page dedicated to educate people about Byzantine art history. It provides plenty of information for anyone who wants to learn about it.
Abstraction
Cimabue broke the conventions of Byzantine art by giving his figuers a more natural appearance.
One can find information on Western art history at any large library. Western art history is one of the more popular art history topics, so the local library is bound to have some books on the topic (no pun intended).
Byzantine art was paid for mostly by emperors and the Orthodox church.
There are many websites devoted to art history. The most popular websites on the topic are Best History Web Sites, Academy of Art University Online and Art History Online.
Abstraction
Leslie Brubaker has written: 'Byzantium in the iconoclast era (c. 680-850)' -- subject(s): Politics and government, Art and state, Byzantine Art, Byzantine Icons, Church and state, Iconoclasm, Byzantine antiquities, Sources, Church history, History 'Vision and meaning in ninth-century Byzantium' 'Images of the Byzantine world' -- subject(s): Byzantine Architecture, Idols and images, Meaning (Philosophy), Byzantine Art, Intellectual life, Visual communication, Nonverbal communication, Civilization, Church history, Visions, History
Cimabue broke the conventions of Byzantine art by giving his figuers a more natural appearance.
Paul Hetherington has written: 'Byzantium' -- subject(s): Art, Byzantine, Byzantine Art, History 'Mapping Wildwood Road' 'Stepping away' 'Medieval Rome' -- subject(s): History, Social history 'Shadow swimmer'
One can find information on Western art history at any large library. Western art history is one of the more popular art history topics, so the local library is bound to have some books on the topic (no pun intended).
Cyril A. Mango has written: 'Byzantine literature as a distorting mirror' -- subject(s): Byzantine literature, History and criticism 'Architettura bizantina' 'The art of the Byzantine Empire, 312-1453' -- subject(s): Byzantine Art, History, Sources 'Hagia Sophia' 'Byzantium and its image' -- subject(s): Civilization 'Byzantine architecture' -- subject(s): Byzantine Architecture, History 'Byzantium' -- subject(s): Civilization 'The brazen house' -- subject(s): Antiquities
The best websites to gather information about Chinese art history are Wikipedia, Random History, Universe-In-Universe, Art History Resources, and Kwintessential.
Abstraction
Well seeing as Byzantine Art really only applies to a style of art in the Byzantine Empire and not the world, one can't really give a definite name to its predecessor. However, Byzantine Art was influenced by art from the Roman Empire (Roman Art).
Byzantine art was paid for mostly by emperors and the Orthodox church.
Panagiotes Andreou Micheles has written: 'An aesthetic approach to Byzantine art' -- subject(s): Art, Byzantine, Byzantine Art
Tania Velmans has written: 'Rayonnement de Byzance' -- subject(s): Art, Byzantine, Byzantine Art 'L' embarquement pour Byzance' -- subject(s): Art, Byzantine, Byzantine Art, Civilization, Description and travel, Travel